Happy birthday, sister

Stewart and PJ

I wondered what I might write about today, and thought about the date, and suddenly realized that it would have been my sister PJ's seventy-fifth birthday, had she not died of heart disease when she was 63. Here she is with her husband, Stewart, not long after her birthday in 2011.

PJ (her name is Patricia June) was born when I was seven. I still remember the day she joined the family, because when I learned that I had a second sister, I went into our backyard and climbed a favorite tree, spending some time trying to fathom how my life might change because of her birth. It didn't seem all that much, partly because I was always playing with Norma Jean, my sister who was two-and-a-half years younger than me. I suppose I must have had to babysit sometimes, but all that is lost in the mists of time. PJ, though, was a constant presence in my life from the time she was born until I left home at 18.

PJ was someone who read almost as many books as our mother. She always had at least one, but usually more, books open and being read. She was a true seeker of knowledge and spent much of her life taking care of others, raising two boys to adulthood, and volunteered much of her time to those less fortunate. She ended up with four grandchildren (I might have been a little jealous) and was always making her own jewelry and small pictures to give away. I still have some things she made for me; I can't really throw them away because she made them and they are all I have that still exists of her, but they are stuck in a drawer somewhere. That, and lots of pictures taken over the years. When I gathered to be with my siblings to celebrate her life, I wrote my own personal celebration of her life. Just now, I re-read it and remembered who she was to me and to all those whose lives she touched.

When someone has died, do we still mark the day as a birthday? Or is it simply a reminder that twelve years ago, she left this earth to start the next adventure? I wonder. There will probably not be a resolution to that question for me, but maybe once I am finally lying on my own deathbed and gazing at the faces of those sending me off to my next adventure, she might be there, peeking mischievously out from behind the others.

   Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened. —Dr. Seuss

Two more sleeps

Jeff Barclay photo

I was wondering whether the Skagit Valley daffodils are coming up yet, and I found this picture on the Seeing Bellingham Group on Facebook. Jeff is a constant contributor to the site, and I have always enjoyed seeing his delightful pictures. The dark skies and brightly lit daffodils are incredible, don't you think? I know this spot because I always see it when I visit the tulips in April. This was taken three days ago, and I am so happy to see this scene. I am already looking forward to this year's Tulip Festival in the Skagit Valley. I suspect it will be a moderately average time for the blooms to show up. It's still too early for tulips.com to venture a guess.

It's just two more days before we experience the first day of spring. And I also suspect we won't have much more cold weather, although that's definitely not a given. I remember one year after we moved here when we had a foot of snow right here in town in April. It was almost like I hadn't left Colorado behind! That said, I don't think we will have a repeat performance of lowland snow this year. We already had a month of below-normal temperatures, but next week the forecast is for above average temperatures.

I am trying not to get too freaked out over the Social Security fiasco that is apparently emerging from Washington, DC. We are completely dependent on getting our checks deposited into our accounts each month, something that has happened without a hitch since we retired almost two decades ago. But now, who knows what will happen? They are cutting staff and closing offices all across the country. And I know we are not alone in needing our SS to keep on coming regularly. I am hoping that saner heads will prevail before it's too late to fix it. Sorry to bring this up, but I am puzzled and mystified by this and wonder if anything is safe anymore.

:-(

Spring is coming soon

Never takes long for these to show up

The wonderful spring flowers are coming along, some even showing their blooms. Not many, but it's only mid-March and we are still a few days away from the spring equinox. Timeanddate.com, one of my favorite sites to visit, tells me:

When is the first day of spring 2025? Thursday, March 20, the date of the spring equinox, marks the first day of spring in the United States. The spring equinox lands at 5:01 a.m., the precise moment the sun's rays shine directly on the equator.

We did, however, already go through the rite of spring that is known as Daylight Saving Time this past Sunday. It was the first time I needed to use my sleep mask that blocks the light and is also very comfortable to wear. By the middle of summer, I will be using it every night, but for now it's only needed when I decide to go to bed earlier than most people would imagine. But I really like going to bed early and getting up early. I seem to be needing more rest these days. I don't know whether it's permanently going to be like that or not. I almost always am in bed before my night owl partner, but there have been a few times lately when he's falling asleep before I have headed to bed. He's just now finishing his first month with his chemo treatment for low grade b-cell lymphoma. 

I didn't realize how many forms of lymphoma there are. He was diagnosed with it a few years ago, and having been fortunate not to grow any tumors, he hasn't needed any treatment for it at all, just frequent monitoring of his blood levels. A few months ago his oncologist said he would need to start some sort of treatment, as some of his blood levels had fallen low enough that he would be required to do something to keep him healthy. After lots of discussion about what is available, he decided to start taking a once-a-day regimen of pills. We both read about all the side effects, and although there are some scary things that can be expected, he didn't develop any of them. He is still the same guy, with the same sense of humor.

What's growing out of my ears?

He didn't want to eat these bananas unless he knew they were safe. After ascertaining that they were not toxic, we shared these guys and found them to be fine. (smile) There are many different things he needs to do to keep me from being exposed to the toxicity of the chemo: for one thing, he needs to put down the toilet seat before flushing to keep the fumes from becoming airborne and possibly affecting me. And I have to say that the packaging is scary enough, with warnings about the hazardous contents. But if these pills do the trick, he won't need to have infusions, which are the next best treatment, according to his doctor.

I wish there was some fancy drugs I could take that would clear up my eye problems, but there isn't. Nothing is going to keep me from going blind, but at least the injections I get every eight weeks are slowing the geographic atrophy of my degenerating macula. This getting old business is certainly challenging, but it sure helps to have a partner who is going through these days, weeks, and years of old age progression with me. 

I am also incredibly grateful for my virtual family, those of you who follow my life through my posts, and who share your own journeys with those of us who feel like family. I have been following some of you for decades and have gone through your ups and downs in life, just as you have been doing with me. Having grown familiar with the internet that connects us, I can hardly remember what life was like in the Before Times. 

I hope you will have a wonderful week before we meet here again next Tuesday. I also will be writing something on my other blog on Sunday, but it's a much smaller electronic world for me these days, and it suits me fine. Sending virtual hugs to everyone!

A new beginning

Lily and me at Evolve Restaurant

It seemed like ages since I had spent any time with my dear friend Lily, so we made plans to visit on Sunday. She is having some back issues, and I am still dealing with my own recalcitrant body, so instead of a walk, we ended up eating at the Evolve Restaurant and each having a beer. I like IPAs, and she likes lagers, so we were both very happy with our choices, along with our meals. I had avocado toast and she had a salad. Those two poached eggs on top of the toast were quite tasty and felt almost like an indulgence. It doesn't really matter where you eat out these days; it's getting pricey everywhere.

Today marks the beginning of a new era for me. I'm thinking it's time to stop hiking every week with the Senior Trailblazers. My eyesight is deteriorating and now, so is my body. After the fall a month ago, it has been like I've moved into another place, and it's becoming more of a challenge to go on anything very long or steep. I might be better after more time passes, but it feels really different. I'm going to find other activities that make me feel whole again. I know that it's possible, with some experimentation and by surrounding myself with good people whom I love.

It's also wonderful to have a community of people like me to hang out with. My time at the Senior Center is always gratifying, and I think I'll find new ways to volunteer, since I find it fulfilling and worthwhile. If my eyes were better, I'd again take up reading books, but I can always listen to them instead. I've been learning how to get  more information via the spoken word rather than reading. I'm ready for a new beginning!